Broken Barriers
by ShadowandKnucklesgirlforever
Summary: Shadow may be the Ultimate Lifeform who fears no one, but his little newborn might be the start of them. If it hasn't started them already...Oneshot! Slight ShadAmy.


I am writing this for no reason. It's pointless really…Shadow might be out of character (OCC) but most new fathers are.

Disclaimer: I own many things: two hermit crabs, the game SA2B, a million pair of jeans, and the bruise on my arm. One thing I will never own is SEGA and all of its wonderful characters. (Mainly the Sonic Team's characters)

Defenseless Barriers 

He sat in the waiting room failing to do anything but wait. He was slightly rocking himself and squeezing is right arm until the blood flow stopped. The hedgehog had a feeling that he never felt before, and he didn't like it.

Shadow the Hedgehog was nervous. He had been involved once in a childbirth. Once upon A.R.K., a lady was about to be sent to Earth for her child was due, and she needed to be in a hospital. The only problem was if your 9 months pregnant, you're not allowed to be transported. So…the baby was delivered on A.R.K. He wasn't involved, but Maria was there and he was her shadow. He wasn't completely new to the subject, but he wasn't an expert for that matter.

Still, the black hedgehog had never been involved with his child.

He stood up and paced around the room vigorously, trying to maintain his patience, but he was slowly losing the battle every second. A glass-shattering cry echoed from the delivery room that painfully called his name. It was Amy.

He rushed quickly to the door just to be stopped…again by a white hedgehog. "Please go sit down sir," the female nurse said firmly, but in her gentle soft voice. "Please let the doctor finish."-She smiled-" I assure you, your wife is in good hands."

"But she just called me," Shadow said, trying to keep his tone and mood down.

"Please understand and calm down. New fathers can be somewhat panicky with their first child. That's way it's best for you to stay out here and remain seated."

The ebony hedgehog snatched his hand from her grasp and reluctantly sat down against his own will. _'Panicked?'_ he thought. _'I'm not panicked. I-will-not-panic!' _He stood up the instant he heard another scream. He started pacing around the room again and stopped when the yelling also stopped; a wailing noise now replaced her screams.

The nurse guarding the door stepped in the room. Shadow leaned against the nearest wall and closed his eyes. He was unaware that he started taking deep breaths to remain calm. He might not have been panicked then but now, he _was_. In. Out. In. Out. As much as he tried to control his breathing, nothing was working right now.

The doors flung open, which made Shadow, snap his eyes open, and out came the nurse carrying a wiggling white bundle. "Congrats sir! You have a new baby daughter!" she said on her approach to him.

The ebony hedgehog ignored the nurse's statement along with the baby. "How is Amy?"

"She'll be fine. Right now, her rest is needed." The nurse shifted the weight of the newborn to the other side of her body. "Would you like to see your child now?"

The ivory hedgehog turned the child, so it was facing him. She was a beautiful sight. Her fur was a dark magenta with soft melon colors at the tip of her three spines. Her eye color was unknown for her eyes were squeezed shut. The baby had one black, stray bang of fur that hung in between its eyes. You couldn't see anything else for the child was wrapped you real tight in the blanket.

Shadow's heart stopped abruptly. Her words were slowly sinking in. _His child_. _Father_. The creation that Amy and him brought into the world. A symbol of their love.

"Would you like to hold her; she's really energetic," she asked, bringing him back from his thoughts.

He stared down at the child again, frowning doubtfully. "What if I drop her?"

The nurse smiled reassuringly. "You won't. All new fathers have that fear at first. Just make sure you hold her head with your free hand."

'_I don't want to hold the baby.' _He kept think over and over again, yet the nurse didn't notice. She lifted the child up and placed it in his arms, slowly letting go. The child wiggled some more as the transition was being made.

"She looks so much like her mother," the nurse said finally releasing the small child.

"Yes, she does."

The black hedgehog shifted the child in one hand, and gingerly rubbed its cheek. The newborn slowly cracked her eyes open and somehow managed to release one of her chubby arms from under the wraps.

The nurse smiled lightly and added a small giggle. "My, she's strong and look, she has your burning red eyes!"

The baby grabbed his finger, her tiny hand not big enough to wrap around his whole finger and held on to it tight before yawning and finally going to sleep.

"Have you named her?"

"No, not yet."

"I'll leave you alone, so you two can bond right now. You can also go see your wife when you want." The white hedgehog walked out of room to the next patient.

Shadow slowly leaned against a wall careful not wake the sleeping baby up. He blinked back tears determined not to let one fall. Although it's might hard, when a child is tearing down all of you defensive barriers. He gently rocked her back and forth as he cradled her.

The blue blur sped in about fifteen minutes later, known as no other than Sonic the hedgehog. "Hey Shad, I was coming earlier but there was this sale on some video games, and I had to just buy some. Then I had to save a cat from a tree-"

"Shut it faker!" Shadow whispered, but the tone was still very harsh.

Sonic stopped immediately with that conversation. "So, is that the baby?" Sonic peered over at it and contorted is face in disgust. "Man, are all newborns ugly or what?"

The ebony hedgehog growled fiercely at the cobalt hedgehog. "Faker, you got one more time to call my child ugly, or I'll make sure you know what ugly is every time you look in the mirror!"

Sonic just laughed at the comment. "But seriously, I think she is beautiful. I'm happy for you guys." Sonic looked down at his watch. "Look at the time, I gotta go. See ya man."

Shadow rolled his eyes and muttered, "Idiot."

About an hour later, Shadow walked in to see Amy. She's resting on the bed, watching TV. The hedgehog looked up at him and smiled. "She's so strong," The rose hedgehog whispered, reaching out her hand for his, "just like her father."

Shadow grabbed her hand and half smiled at his new daughter resting peacefully. She truly was strong because she made the barriers he put up, totally defenseless.

The End

R&R if you decided to read.


End file.
